capillaries
Tiny Blood Vessels
Plain-language definition
The smallest blood vessels connecting arteries to veins. In the retina, capillary damage from diabetes causes microaneurysms, leakage, and vision loss.
Where this term comes up
“Dilated surface capillaries: small vessels on disc surface become prominent”
Finding · Optic Disc Edema (Swelling)
“Blockage of the retinal veins causes blood to back up, increasing pressure in the capillaries and leading to leakage and edema.”
Condition · Macular Edema
- Category
- Anatomy
- Also written as
- No alternate forms listed.
Anatomy terms name the eye, orbit, optic nerve, retina, or visual pathway structures that may appear in an exam note or imaging report.
Related glossary terms
A note on medical context
A glossary definition can explain a word, but it cannot tell you whether a symptom or test result is serious. If this term came from an article, use the full article and your clinician's guidance for context.